differentiation

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Differentiation

Differentiating a PE lesson for gym, dance or games has always been a stumbling block for most deliverers of PE in a school setting. Here are some easily adopted ideas that will help this process.

There may be an occasion when you have planned a PE lesson but during it you realise that you need to make the activities easier or harder for some children. Planning retrospectively to a lesson is also very good practice allowing you to reflect accordingly on the children’s individual needs and therefore set activities suitable to their abilities

Ability Groups

Organise the children into ability groups:

You may choose to do the groupings so that they are set for gym, dance and games

Organise the class appropriately into groups for each of the breadth of study (gym, dance and games).

Mixed ability so the more able can help support the less able.

	The STEP process!

This is also mentioned in the Tops Programme

By using the simple STEP process this will help you differentiate accordingly.

What does STEP mean?

S – Space Where is the activity happening?

T – Task What is happening?

E – Equipment What is being used?

P – People Who is Involed?

By changing one or more of the above criteria in the STEP process you are differentiating and supporting learning and progress in PE

Space

Where the activity is happening?

Working areas: circles, squares, rectangle, triangle, lines, funnels, zones, grids, wide, narrow, short, long.

Directional space: backwards, sideways, forwards, up/down, around, towards, away, high, low, behind, in front, under, over.

Pathways in space: straight, curved, zig-zag, diagonal, arched, circular.

Personal group space: display boards, charts, visual aids; different environments – indoor/outdoor.

General: big, small, group, shapes.

Direction: up, down, in, out, forward, backward, around, through, sideways. Adaption of area. Distance travelled. Use of zoned area. Nearer to/further away from partner.

Task

What is happening?

Actions: travelling, climbing, throwing, kicking, swinging, turning, jumping, weaving, dribbling, balancing.

How: quick, slow, light, heavy, quiet, competition, timed, copied.

Changes linked to: language used, timing/duration, range, content and outcomes, intervention and questions, tasks matched to ability and interest, give pupil responsibility to stay on task, extension activities, number and complexity, verbal, non-verbal, visual cues.

What: size, weight, shape, length, texture, colour e.g. visibility.

Equipment

What is being used?

Resources used: people, apparatus, equipment, (different shape, size, texture, property, weight, height, width, angle, length, colour).

Media/ICT: camera, PC and interactive board, video, stopwatch.

Type of equipment: balls, bats, markers, spots, hands, feet, koosh, goals

Play surfaces: grass, hardcourt.

People

Who is involved?

Grouping: Independence, pairs, trio, friends, ability, gender, size, learning style, teams (e.g. 1v2; 3v3). Levels of support/teacher time, organising and positioning; roles and responsibility; peer tutoring.

Who: Individual, partner, small group or larger group work. Roles. Changes discussed and agreed by the whole group.


		If it is done properly it will lead to SUCCESS!

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